It Takes A Village - Can You Help GrandFriends Create One For Grandparent’s Day?

What’s your favourite memory of your grandparents? Is it a great hug and a pocketful of lollies?

Maybe it was being taught a skill like knitting or woodwork? Maybe it was the tasty meals they used to make you when you went to visit.

Grandparents bring a whole heap of benefits to a family - wisdom, a new perspective and a lot of love. That’s why we think they should be celebrated with their own special day. So, on Sunday October 6th we’re marking Grandparent’s Day.

It’s a time to recognise what joy and benefits the older generation can bring - a day to make grandparents feel as special as they make us feel.

GrandFriends helps to connect older people and families who don’t already have that special relationship.

Sadly not all families experience the joy that grandparents can bring. Some may have lost their own grandparents, or be estranged from them, or may just simply live too far away to have regular contact.

That’s where GrandFriends comes in. We connect families and older people across New Zealand so they can create their own special relationships.

This year has been an exciting time for GrandFriends as we’ve launched our new members-only online platform. This means we can not only connect people locally so they can have face-to-face relationships, but we can also connect people digitally across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Research shows that having a grandparent figure in their lives can benefit children’s mental health and well-being and reduce behavioural problems. Having a relationship with a surrogate family can also reduce isolation and loneliness for older people, especially those who usually live alone.

We’re excited to reach more people and make more connections as we expand the GrandFriends community. We’d love for you to help us spread the word.

ABOUT GRANDPARENT’S DAY

Grandparent’s Day in New Zealand has been celebrated at the beginning of October since 2018.

It’s a chance to celebrate grandparents across the country. It is also celebrated internationally at various times throughout the year. You can find out more, including resources on how to celebrate, on our website: https://newzealandgrandparentsday.org/

ABOUT GRANDFRIENDS

At GrandFriends, we work to bring together families who don’t have their own grandparents with older people looking for some company to help combat loneliness and develop support networks.

As a charity, we rely on grants and donations to continue working to create these relationships across New Zealand. You can find out more about GrandFriends on our website: www.grandfriends.nz

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